Are you a "Doubting Thomas"?

      It was late that Sunday evening, and the disciples were gathered together behind locked doors, because they were afraid of the Jewish authorities. Then Jesus came and stood among them. "Peace be with you," he said. After saying this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy at seeing the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so I send you." Then he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive people's sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven." One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (called the Twin), was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" Thomas said to them, "Unless I see the scars of the nails in his hands and put my finger on those scars and my hand in his side, I will not believe." A week later the disciples were together again indoors, and Thomas was with them. The doors were locked, but Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and look at my hands; then reach out your hand and put it in my side. Stop your doubting, and believe!" Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Do you believe because you see me? How happy are those who believe without seeing me!" (John 20:19-29 Good News Translation)       How many of us have doubted the existence of Jesus? I spent the most of my life doubting His existence. I was much like Thomas, I needed proof.  If there is a Savior, then where was He when I was going through my divorce? Where was He when I was trying to find the answers at the bottom of a bottle? Where was He when my depression left me crippled and blind? The answer is...He is where He has always been...with me every step of the way! I was behind the locked doors of life, He showed up. He had every right to be angry with me; I had used His name in vain so many times. He had every right to crush my soul, but He didn't. He simply said, "Peace be with you." and it was! I did not see Him physically, but I felt His presence, I did not see His nail pierced hands and the scars on His side, but I felt their pain.  Jesus said, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed." You are "those"! Just put your faith in God and someday you'll see. Your brother in Christ,      Danny Legge